Tony Prophet: Promoting Equality in the Workforce

At Goldman Sachs’ Builders + Innovators Summit, Tony Prophet, chief equality officer at Salesforce, discusses the company’s unique approach to company culture, which it calls “Ohana,” the Hawaiian word for extended family. He explains why it should be a company’s responsibility to promote diversity and equal rights for all.

On Salesforce corporate culture: “You think about the other companies that you work with, large and small, and I would challenge you, how many of them have thought about their culture enough to where it even has a name?”

On promoting a culture of equality: “We want to have cultures where everyone feels seen, everyone feels valued, everyone feels heard. Nobody feels invisible, no one feels like they have to check some fraction of their identity at the door for fear of being judged or discriminated against, because that goes hand in hand with having a healthy, vibrant, diverse workplace.”

On corporate responsibility to society: “It’s never too early for entrepreneurs and founders to think about the impact that you’re going to have on society beyond the capital that you raise and the dollars and Euros or bitcoins that are generated and earned, versus what really is the lasting impact that you’re going to have, what evidence that you even existed…What’s really going to be your legacy?”